Cigarette and cigarette paper manufacture



Patented May 16, 1933' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS P. NEW YORK,11'. Y WILLIAI P. OI HILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY GIG-BETTE AND CIGARETTE PAPERIANUIACTUBE Io Drawing." Application filed June 18,

Our present invention relates generally to paper manufacture, and hasparticular reference to cigarette paper.

A eneral object of our invention is to provide a new and improved typeof cigarette paper, produced or treated by means of a novel procedure,whereby the paper may be imbued with useful. properties and qualitieswhich are lacking in the ordinary cigarette paper now almost universallyused in the manufacture of cigarettes.

It is a primary object of our invention to provide a cigarette paperwhich is waterresistant.

Cigarette paper consists essentially of cellulose. Paper pulp ofrequisite purity, suspended in water, is formed into thin webs orsheets, usually on the well-known type of Fourdrinier machine; and thewebs are then subjected to dehydration, drying, and calendaring. One ofthe essential characteristics of the finished product lies in itsporosity, since it is thisporosity which permits the products ofcombustion to escape when the 23 cigarette is smoked. To improve theburnin qualities of the paper, a filler such as calcium carbonate issometimes employed, serving to increase the porosity of the paper andenhancing not onl its opacity but also its continuity of smoot burning.

The inherent porosity of a good cigarette pa or is obviously accompaniedby reat absor ency, which is an undesired qua ity in so far as itresults in almost complete or immediate breakdown or disintegration ofthe paper whenever a drop of water comes in contact with it. Thisdisadvantageous characteristic of ordinary cigarette paper is wellknownto those who have experienced the 40 almost complete ruination of acigarette when it is subjected to a drop of rain or the like;- or, morecommonly, when the tip of the cigarette becomes wetted upon insertioninto the mouth.

Any attempts to obviate the foregoing disadvantage by any ordinary typeof impreg nation proceduce, with a view to producing a aper which iswaterproof, is obviously uneasible, and has roven so in practice, for

the reason that t e porosity 'of the paper 1982. Serial No. 817,600.

must be maintained in order to insure its burning qualitites.Accordingly, the problem has been sought to be solved in a variety ofways involving the formation or addition of special tips on thecigarette, such as 56 cork, straw, or the like. In some instances, weare aware of attempts to produce tips by forming the same of cellulosenitrate.

Tipped cigarettes are, however, notoriously disliked by the averagesmoker. Not only 60 is the addition of a separate element a procedurewhich raises the cost of manufacture and the selling price, but itproduces a cigarette which is distinctively different from the ordinaryrun of cigarettes, a distinction which for some reason or other does notappeal to the public generally. Furthermore, all tips of conventionalcharacter are utterly unburnable without a highly disagreeable andsometimes toxic effect. Our present invention is predicated upon thediscovery that it is possible to treat a cigarette paper by a processwhich essentially of the nature of impregnation or coating, and whichresults in imparting a waterresistant characteristic or quality to thepaper, and sometimes other desirable characteristics, without intheleast impairing the inherent porosity, appearance, taste, or burningqualities of the, paper.

It is a feature of our invention to produce or treat cigarette paper forthe purposes illustratively specified by a procedure wherein theadvantages of the phenomenon known as blooming or efliorescence areresorted to. This phenomenon manifests itself in a variety of arts andunder a'variety of conditionsvand consists essentially in the formation,either on the surface or throughout the body, of a whitish or colorless,mealy or crystallme powder or crust caused by some sort of chemicalaction or evaporation under certain specified conditions. Ordinarily,the phenomenon of blooming is an undesirable one and is usuallystrenuously avoided or sought to be avoided, especially in processesinvolvingthe waterproofing of paper or similar material.

We have, however, discovered that a waterresistant material may, undercertain condi- 15 resins.

55 the general class which includes tions, be caused to form a desirabletype of efliorescence on or in cigarette paper in a manner whereby theinherent porosity and burning qualities of the paper are substan- 5tially unimpaired while a new and additional water-resistantcharacteristic, and other desirable characteristics,"are imparted to theaper.

Although our invention is, from many aspects, not restricted to theemployment of any particular type of water-resistant material, we havefound it preferable and eminently satisfactory to employ a material ofthe class which may be generically designated as Resins are insoluble inwater, and yet they are soluble in organic solvents, which ermit ourmethod and mode of treatment to e economically and feasibly carried outin a commercially practical manner. Of primary importance is the factthat resins generally are amenable to the blooming phenomenon, and arereadily adapted to form an efliorescence of a porous character.

Brlefly, our invention res1des 1n applying to a cigarette paper a resindissolved in a solvent which may be evaporated under conditions inducingthe formation of an efllorescent film of the resin on or in the paper';and thereupon causing thesolvent to evaporate under the properconditions to effect this purose. We have found that our presentobective is most satisfactorily carried out by dissolving the resin in areadily volatile solvent, e. g., of the class which includes carbonvtetrachloride, benzol, acetone, alcohol, and

similar materials; and by permitting or causing the solvent to evaporaterapidly in a moist atmosphere. While we do not mean to restrictourselves to any particular explanation "of the nature of causes of thephenomenon which results, it is our present theory, based upon extensiveexperimentation and study,

that the relatively rapid evaporation of the solvent reduces thetemperature of the atmos- 4'5 phere in the proximity of the paper,thereby increasing the relative humidity in the vicinity of the resin,and thereby causing the resin to precipitate or bloom upon and in thepores of the paper, producing a porous film or efllorescence whichimparts remarkindene, etc;

way of illustration, we will state that one method of producing ortreating a ciga-" rette paper in accordance with our present in--vention lies in first forming the paper in the usual manner; thensubjecting it, as by iming takes less than a minute, and is carried outin an atmosphere which is purposefully prevented from being overheatedor dry. The resultant paper looks and feels exactly like the untreatedordinary paper; its burn ing characteristics are substantiallyunimpaired; and yet the paper has the remarkable quality of resistingthe penetration or absorption of water, an advantage whose importancecan hardly be over-estimated and which ear-marks the product as a new,different, and hitherto unattained thing.

We have found it equally satisfactory to treat the paper with the resinsolution by coating the paper on one or'both sides with the material, aswell as by immersing it into a bath of the material. Accordingly,although the immersion procedure is preferable, it will be understoodthat our inven tion may be carried out with equal facility by applyingthe resin solution by a coating procedure.

Our invention also contemplates the employment of resins, such as theoleoresins, which carry with them certain essential oils or similaringredients of aromatic ualities. It is possible, for example, by empoying a balsam resin to produce a cigarette paper, and a finishedcigarette, of new and improved aromatic qualities, the term aromaticreferring not only to odor but also to taste. The water-resistantcharacteristics are achieved in conjunction with a property causing thecigarette to embody a pleasing and novel aroma and/or taste when it issmoked, thisresult probably being due to the fact that the essential oilor similar ingredient is released under burning conditions.

Under certain circumstances, we have:

found it advantageous to employ a small percentage of a waxy substance,such as paralfine, carnauba wax, cerowax, or the.

like, in conjunction with the resinous substance. For example, in theformula here inbefore illustratively specified, about two parts, byweight, of parafline may advantageously be added, the wax in some wayseeming to enhance the practice of the proc-' ess and thewater-resistant resultant paper. I

It will also be understood that we deem a qualities of the finishedcigarette consisting of a rolled body present invention to fall withinthe purview of our invention.

The term efiiorescence, as the same is used herein and in the appendedclaims, is intended to signify the henomenon hereinbefore referred towhere y the resin apparently forms a film or layer of porous characteron the paper, although it will be understood that the resin is quitepossibly in efliorescent condition within the pores of the paper aswell. Stated otherwise, it is our contention and belief that theresinous material is impregnated in the paper in a mild manner, theamount of resin being insufiicieht to affeet the porosity and burningqualities of the paper, yet enough to impart a water-resistantcharacteristic to the paper. It will be understood, however, that theimpregnation referred to is not of the ordinary character wherein thepores of the paper are filled and whereby the porosity is seriouslyimpaired, if not completely destroyed, but that the deposit of the resineither on or in the paper is of the character which is the result of ablooming or efllorescence whereby a broken and porous or powdery depositresults.

In general, it will be obvious that changes in the details hereindescribed for the purpose of explaining the nature of our invention maybe made b those skilled in the art without departing rom the spirit andscope of the invention as ex ressed in the appended claims. It is thereore intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative, and not3. The herein-describedmethod of treat ing cigarette paper to make itwater-resistant, which consists in forming thereon a porousefllores'cence of resin and a waxy substance.

4. The herein-described 'method of treattile solvent, and causing thesolvent to evaporate in a moist atmosphere.

7. The herein-described method of treating cigarette paper whichconsists in a plying to it a resin of the class which inc udes masticand ester gum, said resin being dissolved in a readily volatile solventof the class which includes carbon-tetrachloride, acetone, and benzol,and causing the solvent to evaporate under conditions inducing theformation of an efilorescence of said resin on the paper.

8. The herein-described method of treating cigarette paper whichconsists in a plying to it a resin of the class which inc udes masticand ester gum, coumarin and indene, together with a wax substance of theclass which includes para ne, carnauba wax, and cerowax, said resin andwaxy substance being dissolved in a readily volatile solvent of theclass which includes carbon-tetrachloride, acetone, and benzol, andcausing the solvent to evaporate under conditions inducing the formationof a porous efilorescence of said resin and waxy substance on the paper.

In witness whereof we have signed this specification this 13th da ofJune 1932.

LOUIS P. SC ITZER. WILLIAM P. SCHWEITZER.

ing cigarette paper to make it water-resistant, which consists inapplying to ita waterinsoluble material dissolved in a solvent andadapted to eflloresce on the paper when the solvent evaporates.

5. The herein-described method of treating cigarette paper to make itwater-resistant, which consists in applying to it a resin dissolved in asolvent, and causing the solvent to evaporate so as to deposit anefllorescence of said resin on the paper.

6. The herein-described method of treating cigarette paper whichconsists in applying to it a resin dissolved in a. readily vola-

